The Syncode

Chapter 14: An Enigma Part II and A Little Romance

She watched as his index finger brushed across the corner of her mouth, coming away with a bit of dark chocolate icing. Mycroft's eyes never wavered as he slowly cleaned off the frosting with his mouth. It was the most erotic thing she had ever experienced.

"Kieran..."

His eyes widened in surprise. No one ever called him that. "Who told you that? Who told you my first name?"

Where had she heard it? Who indeed! His closeness and piercing look scrambled her thoughts. Sherlock? Anthea? "Umm.. Can't remember just now..."

He moved closer still as she took a step backward. She was pinned against the sideboard and his tall, lithe body.

"Tell me." Mycroft leaned over her, placing both palms atop the table on either side of her.

"I... I don't remember." Words and thoughts escaped her.

"Tell me," rasped. His lips grazed her ear, hair and neck. A violent tremor of shock and anticipation ran through her, burning to her core. Joanne felt pleasantly trapped in a contagion of heat that leapt from his body to hers. The smell of him, his warmth and the tickle of soft lips were threatening to undo her.

"Anthea! It was Anthea!"

"And why would she do that?" He brought a hand up to stroke her face, memorizing every feature by touch as he felt her curve against him. His lips followed his finger's soft exploration of her face and neck as she moaned, pressing firmer against him. He felt her arms wrap around his waist, clasping his body to hers.

A sharp intake of breath was his response. It was as if a floodgate were suddenly released; heat, desire and emotion surged through him, threatening to overwhelm the higher functioning part of his mind. His arms fully closed about Joanne as gentle nuzzles turned into soft kisses, deliberately avoiding her mouth. He wanted to prolong this as long as possibly could. The scent of jasmine and her own unique blend of shampoo, perfume and skin combined to further eliminate all thought as he pulled her close against his chest. He felt a playful nip on his earlobe, causing his body to shake as a bolt of electricity traveled down his spine and coalesced at a most pleasing spot. "Anna!!" he groaned, his voice hoarse. He could feel her smile against his neck, further driving him mad as he pressed insistent butterfly kisses along her face, neck and throat. He needed more... wanted more... "Anna.." Finally, seeking her mouth with his own he tasted her, kissing her fiercely with a hunger and need that even Mycroft hadn't realize he possessed.. 

Joanne would never forget the look on Mycroft's face as he advanced toward her, a look of determination and intensity in his gaze, the blue eyes darkening as his head lowered to hers. Instead of a direct kiss, he seemed more than content to kiss his way slowly around, then inward. The soft lips dotted her ears, brows, and hairline before demanding the planes of her throat and soft skin of her neck, stopping short at the open collar before traveling to the other side and working back the way he came. She was devolving into a warm puddle when an ear came within close proximity to her mouth; she instinctively took the lobe lightly in her teeth and gave it a bite. The harsh moan resounded in her ears, causing a thrill of excitement to course through her. His mouth alighted on hers own once more, enveloping her in a deep kiss.  His lips were soft, the taste of him wonderful. She felt her knees begin to buckle. "Mycroft..."

The kisses paused and stilled as he moved his face away a fraction, studying her. "Do you love him?" Mycroft demanded, his voice rough.

Joanne swallowed. Why was he asking her this now?! She knew at once to whom he referred. The question cut a sharp knife through the heated wave of desire that threatened to drown her. "Yes, but-"

"But what?" She could hear the steel like quality beneath that soft, silken voice. His hands moved around her waist and up behind her shoulders, holding her in a vice like grip, the fingers pressing firmly into her back . The dark eyes were interrogative. It was thrilling, yet paralyzing. What could she say, but the truth?

"I do. I do love him. But not in the way you think; I can't now." She paused, her eyes filling with tears in a new understanding. "I did, but he didn't want... he doesn't want me," she finished with a gasp of realization. The thought hit her hard in the gut. "He doesn't feel the same for me. Maybe he never did."

Mycroft knew damn well that he did, but he wasn't about to encourage her in that direction. Julian had made his bed and would lie in it. Alone. 

Never mind. He would take what was his now. Pulling away slightly, he assessed her through half lidded eyes. "Say it."

Gazing into those endless blue depths dark with need and want, she stammered out a reply. "What-..." she began.

"My name," he whispered urgently against her ear, blazing a trail of heated kisses over her face before lowering his lips to hers once more.

"Mycroft," she moaned, her hand moving of its own accord to stroke through his hair while the other rested atop a broad shoulder.

"No. The other one. Say it!" he hissed, roughly kissing the pulsing artery at the juncture of her throat and shoulder.

"Ahhh! Kieran!!" she gasped.

Soft lips hovered over hers. "Both of them," came the molten voice in warm puffs against her skin.

"Kieran Mycroft," she murmured, returning the kisses along his neck, ears and eyes. "Kieran... Mycroft..."

Joanne felt his whole body shudder as he cried out her name in a hoarse, guttural voice, his arms clamping tight about her as though he would fall. Returning his embrace, she realized what had just happened and continued stroking his hair, calming him. His first time with a woman... ever. And this was only a kiss. What delights still awaited them at some as yet unknown future date? Joanne closed her eyes in awe and wonder.

Mycroft lowered his face to her neck, panting harshly into her ear from physical as well as emotional exertion. For a long time, they simply held each other. Mycroft lay his face against her hair in a daze, breathing deep as he continued to hold her, neither of them saying a word until the door burst open and Sherlock strode in. They sprang apart with a yelp of shock and surprise.

He threw the pair of them a both a look of disgust as well as an expletive. "Do you have to do that in here near the food? Get a room!" With that, he took with him the entire rest of the cake and quickly departed.

No one noticed the cleaning woman Runica Tansi near the entrance to the dining area. Although she had not witnessed the couple's passionate encounter, she could hazard a guess by the brother's reaction what the elder Holmes and woman were up to. Pulling out her phone, she quickly texted the man whom she answered to, Anton De Silva.

***

Andrena's face split into a huge grin at the news. "Wonderful! Simply wonderful!" She clapped her hands in glee, thumbing through the doctored erotic photos taken of the cousin Holmes and Miss Hartwell. This was better than she had hoped. The girl Runica had kept her contacts abreast of the goings on inside the Boeing. Multiple trips containing packages had been made, flown in from both Britain, Australia and the Falkland Islands. She was puzzled over this last. What did the Falklands have to do with anything? No matter. A close eye would be kept on the Holmes's every movement, and all would be made clear in time. 

As for this new little revelation, it would be used to her advantage. Andrena couldn't wait to see Mycroft Holmes's face when they were sent to him. The Earthquake Oscillators at Magneto were nearly ready, and would be deployed to the various major cities who had so long ago snubbed her uncle. They would be her final bargaining chip should Mycroft realize the photos were fakes. She was glad Ortega had taken the others on board The Mining Bee, capturing Julian and Joanne standing quite close at the railing; in one of them, he had embraced her. According to Ortega, it had only been a brief hug, but the photo had captured a most romantic essence. 

Two bargaining chips.

Oh yes, things were falling into place quite nicely...